


Absurd Distractions

by paynesgrey



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Adventure, Gen, Humor, Male-Female Friendship, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-03-13 04:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 20,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3367001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paynesgrey/pseuds/paynesgrey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Out of boredom, Kagome rudely begins to meddle in Sesshoumaru's personal life. She never intended to get caught up in one of his crazy quests. Friendship Fic. Canon, Post-Series. [COMPLETE]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Premeditated

**Author's Note:**

> Originally started Jan. 20, 2011. THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE FIC. This is a friendship fic. There will be implications toward the Inuyasha/Kagome ship; however, this serialization will focus on the growing friendship between Kagome and Sesshoumaru, whether Sesshoumaru likes it or not. It's supposed to be a little cracky and fun, and it'll revolve around prompts in various LJ communities.  
> Written for "lunch" at dokuga-contest.  
> EDIT: Finished for WIP Big Bang. Thank you to Luxken27 for the beta job in my later chapters!

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/157046368@N08/35977288572/in/dateposted-public/)

“Sesshoumaru-sama has been coming to the village a lot,” Kagome mused.

Inuyasha snorted. “He brings that kid dresses and checks on her.”

“How many dresses does Rin-chan need?” Kagome was still staring at Rin and Sesshoumaru, intrigued at their interaction. She couldn’t look away; perhaps she was bored.

“Why do you care?” he asked annoyed, but Kagome ignored him.

“Maybe we should invite him over, you know, to our home for a meal,” Kagome asked, and Inuyasha’s eyes widened.

“Are you crazy?”

“Well, he seems lonely,” she mused sadly.

“Just leave him be.” This was Inuyasha’s final word, but Kagome didn’t let up.

“I wonder if he needs to find someone, you know, a companion?” she asked wistfully.

“Oh, no you don’t, woman!” He pointed a finger at her, but Kagome was too stubborn and not interested in his scolding. She grinned with an evil new plan. She snapped her fingers.

“That’s it! I’ll invite him for lunch!” she said, looking for encouragement. Inuyasha looked withered.

“You’re asking for trouble,” he said gloomily.

“Oh, be quiet. We could use some excitement in this village once in awhile!” Kagome said, and she took off in a sprint toward the unaware youkai.


	2. On One Condition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was "LOL" for ib4y on livejournal.

With a keen eye he watched Kagome run after his uptight brother with a newfound fervor. If there was something he was certain of, it was that whenever Kagome set her mind on something, nothing would change it and nothing would stand in her way of accomplishment.

Albeit her latest idea was ridiculous, and maybe if his attitude had been different when she announced it, she might have forgotten about it; however, Inuyasha knew the moment he showed any retaliation or discomfort, Kagome would go through with her idea just to spite him.

Modern girls who got bored in his time were dangerous things, he was realizing.

“Oi, Sesshoumaru-sama!” she called to him sweetly. Inuyasha noticed she had not called him by her recent term of endearment, “Onii-san”, which seemed to send his temper ablaze every time she addressed him, and it made Inuyasha extremely uncomfortable to be so closely associated with someone who once wanted to beat the living tar out of him (and he probably still did, Inuyasha thought).

As usual, his brother ignored Kagome with obvious indifference as she ran toward him; however, like anything else - acid whip or even a glare, nothing would deter her from inviting his brother over to dinner. The end result was much worse, and Sesshoumaru didn’t even know the terror that was lurking inside Kagome’s brain.

If he knew she wanted to play matchmaker with him and become his best friend, well, he might not tolerate Kagome as well as he did now. (Inuyasha wasn’t keen on the idea of fighting his brother because he got angry with one of Kagome’s crazy whims).

Amazingly enough, when his thoughts cleared away, Inuyasha saw Kagome glide in front of Sesshoumaru before he took off to the skies. He looked down at her curiously, and Inuyasha was impressed enough that she had actually obtained his often-elusive attention.

“Hi! How are you?” When he heard her loud, nervous laughter, Inuyasha took one step, getting ready for when things went bad. His ears cocked as he tried to listen from this distance, and as Kagome babbled away, they began walking together out of the range of his hearing and taking a turn about the edge of the forest.

“What the?” he said aloud, but he didn’t want to anger Kagome and intervene when there was no dire reason, and it wasn’t like he didn’t trust her in the presence of another man.

Another man, who just happened to be his unpredictable, vicious brother.

“That’s great! Then it’s settled!” He heard her say as she turned around and they started walking back. Inuyasha’s brow knitted together suspiciously as they walked side-by-side toward his position.

How the heck did she manage to convince him to even notice her, let alone agree to have dinner with them that night?

Kagome beamed happily as they approached him. Sesshoumaru, who was silent and stony as ever, was oddly congenial as Kagome rattled off how happy she was to have his brother for dinner that night. It still didn’t explain how she managed to pull off this seemingly impossible request.

“No offense, Kagome, but how in the hell did you convince him to eat with us?” Inuyasha sneered, and he turned to his brother. “And you...” He pointed accusingly. “What do you get in all of this? What are you scheming?”

His brother said nothing; he didn’t even flinch, but Inuyasha’s rudeness definitely stirred Kagome’s ire. She put her fists on her hips and hollered at him. “Honestly, behave yourself, Inuyasha. You need to be a better host to our guest.”

Inuyasha guessed his brother was feeling rather smug inside, but he still couldn’t quite tell.

“What? Host? This guy tried to kill us on many occasions! What the hell is wrong with you, woman? Are you out of your mind?” Inuyasha continued to glare at Sesshoumaru, trying to figure out what his interest was with Kagome, and why, out of the blue, he was suddenly in agreement to play house with her.

“Now, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru-sama has assured me that he would like to dine with us, but there are some conditions. It seems he has a special diet,” Kagome explained. His brother’s cold eyes seemed to bore into him like miko’s arrows.

“Yeah, yeah, I know; he’s too good for human food,” Inuyasha said condescendingly. “That’s why I can’t understand what the hell he intends to do.”

“Now if you just settle down and listen, I’ll explain,” Kagome said huffing with impatience. She shot his brother the sweetest smile, one that Inuyasha did not like at all, and he hoped she never looked at his brother like that again. “Sesshoumaru says he will have dinner if you could hunt the food for him. I mean, after all, he tells me you being an inu-youkai, well at least half, you should know how to hunt for food that’s appropriate for his diet.”

Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed, and he was seething inside. He figured out his brother’s plan now, and not only was he mildly insulted by this game of servitude, but also his brother knew very well beyond Kagome’s understanding that any meat on the hunt would be eaten raw as a show of skill and power. It was a well-known ritual of his kind, and Inuyasha, because of his birth, was never allowed to participate in it. Sesshoumaru knew that well enough, and he was only offering Inuyasha the chance by way of mockery and at the expense of Kagome’s ignorance.

Inuyasha growled and glowered at his brother. He searched his brother’s face for any indication of smarmy satisfaction toward the whole proposal. Of course it wasn’t visibly there, but it was obvious the moment Inuyasha met his brother’s eyes.

If were possible for his golden eyes to laugh, Inuyasha knew that his brother was loudly amused at his expense right now.


	3. Bonding Exhaustion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "grow" for dokuga-contest.

Kagome hummed as she prepared dinner that late afternoon, and knowing Sesshoumaru wouldn’t eat anything she made, she set out the tea anyway in hope that he’d relent to her charms.

Kagome’s smile brightened when she thought of the unexpected bonding of the two brothers, and she couldn’t help but dream that their relationship would grow so she could get closer to Sesshoumaru as well. She didn’t know why, but she felt compelled to know more about him. After all, he had helped them in battle, and despite his usual aloof nature, Kagome was certain there was a lonely person inside just waiting to get out.

She heard the boys return from their ritual hunt, and after hurrying to put the finishing touches on her tea presentation, she skipped out of the house to greet them.

Her smile disappeared when she caught sight of them. Then, a rancid scent hit her nostrils, and she staggered to keep her footing. Inuyasha and his brother were covered in youkai blood, and Inuyasha looked unusually listless. Sesshoumaru, of course, looked the same as ever, placidly unaffected.

“What happened? I thought you were just going to hunt!” She marched up to them and looked at Inuyasha alarmed. 

“We hunted,” Sesshoumaru merely said, and when Inuyasha’s glassy-eyed expression did not meet hers, she looked to his brother worriedly. 

“Is he going to be okay?” 

Sesshoumaru turned to his brother, and as he glanced at him, Inuyasha tumbled onto the ground. Kagome squeaked in horror until she heard Inuyasha emit a contented snore.

“My brother is still well, but he will need to sleep off the youki he consumed,” Sesshoumaru answered, and Kagome swore she could detect rare amusement in his voice.

“Well, then,” she stammered and nervously smiled at him. “Would you like some tea?”


	4. Dissed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "crisp" for dokuga-contest.

With an intrigued stare, Sesshoumaru wordlessly declined her offer for tea as he turned to the skies. Inuyasha snored soundly at their feet, but Kagome was too miffed by Sesshoumaru’s crisp rejection to worry about him now.

 _He’ll be back,_ she thought resolutely, and as he departed, she waved her arms and bid him farewell with a boisterous screech.

“Until next time,” she called, pausing a beat before saying, “ _Onii-san!_ ”

The visible tremble in his shoulders was more than evident of her triumph. Undoubtedly, she’d gotten the last word here, and she wasn’t giving up on him any time soon.


	5. The Planning Process

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "flail" for dokuga-contest.

Kagome was quite positive that Sesshoumaru was avoiding her.

He hadn’t come back to the village in weeks, and while Kagome was content to continue her duties with Kaede, it did not deter her from wanting to become his friend.

She racked her brain trying to figure out a way to lure him in again and appeal to his finer tastes, and though she hated for Sesshoumaru to notice her at Inuyasha’s expense, she wouldn’t rule out that option. Still, the perfect catalyst to attract the cold brother’s attention still eluded her.

Thoughts of a winning plan consumed her, so much that it had caused somewhat of a failing in awkward, amorous times with Inuyasha, and though a headache was a good excuse, she couldn’t use it all the time.

She thought, perhaps, Sesshoumaru might be enticed by a shiny object of some sort if he could not be attracted through food. Kagome chuckled to herself; of course, Sesshoumaru wasn’t like the border collie she once had. She’d have to use some kind of finesse.

When the idea finally struck her, she flailed wildly out of Inuyasha’s intimate embrace.

“I’ve got it!” she exclaimed, leaving Inuyasha, unfortunately, bewildered and annoyed.


	6. First Signs of Madness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "slow and steady" for iyfic-contest.

Kagome was sure her plan was foolproof, but she would take things slow and steady. She holed herself up in the miko shrine by the village, creating the perfect gift to entice Sesshoumaru to become her friend.

She was sure that he would not refuse such a gift as this, and more than likely he did not possess anything like it. Kagome was so confident Sesshoumaru would be so taken by her “gift” that he may even make some gesture of apology for avoiding her this long. It was silly; she knew this, but she was certain she could tell _things_ from his eyes, even through his stony expressions.

Inuyasha called her delusional, but what did he know? Kagome was sure he was jealous. It was obvious even now that Sesshoumaru preferred her over his own brother (one he didn’t claim anyway).

She couldn’t wait to see Sesshoumaru’s face, and even the shift in his emotions when he regarded her.

Kagome started chuckling to herself, in low and self-satisfied guffaws that frightened away the miko trainees. Kaede stayed away as well, bluntly expressing that she hoped Kagome’s obsession with Sesshoumaru ended soon.

Inuyasha was the only brave soul to interrupt Kagome during her new project. He poked his head into the shrine and said, “Kagome?”

She snapped her head around, and in the darkness, he only saw two bright pink slits for eyes as her holy aura began to rise.

Promptly, and smartly, he got the hell out of there.


	7. The Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "blink" from iyfic-contest.

Kagome could barely blink she was so exhausted. She’d been working tirelessly for two days on Sesshoumaru’s gift.

Kagome was still confident he would not refuse her. He might be his usual frigid self about accepting her gift, but she would insist regardless.

Holding up the fine silver sash, she rolled onto her back and put it under to the sunlight coming through the shrine. It shimmered with her power, and she concentrated specifically that it would not affect Sesshoumaru; however, her holy power would ultimately send other enemy youkai into crippling heaps.

Kagome just hoped that it actually worked.


	8. More than Successful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "rumor has it" for iyfic-contest.

Inuyasha peered at the shimmering pink sash intently. “What does it do?”

“You could say it’s a shield against other youkai,” Kagome told him proudly. She’d come home exhausted from working on Sesshoumaru’s gift in the shrine, falling into Inuyasha’s opening arms half asleep. She’d had the sash on her, and he took it and folded it next to her while she got some much needed rest.

“But it doesn’t affect me?” Inuyasha asked cautiously, and Kagome shook her head and smiled at him.

“That’s right. I concentrated my power that it wouldn’t hurt anyone in your bloodline,” she said with a grin. “So that means it’s the _perfect_ gift.”

“What about Kirara?” Inuyasha asked, and Kagome smiled.

“Don’t worry, Inuyasha. It won’t hurt her either,” she said, taking the sash from his grip and looking at it proudly. She couldn’t wait to give it to him! 

“You’ve never made anything like this for me,” he said with a pout, and his words caught her off guard. She didn’t realize how upset he’d been until she saw the expression on his face.

“Oh, Inuyasha...” she said, feeling the need to apologize. “I guess I’ve been a little obsessed lately. I felt so insulted by his rejection that I couldn’t think about anything else but trying to please him.”

He snorted. “When will you learn that’s how he is? He’ll never be like your brother back home, okay?” Kagome looked at her hands, and she wound the sash tightly over her wrists. “Oh, so that’s it, isn’t it? You miss Souta, and you think Sesshoumaru will be your substitute?”

“Well, and I’m bored, and I thought it’d be fun, you know, to crack that hardened exterior of his,” she said with a smirk.

“Trust me, I tried that a long time ago, and it wasn’t pretty,” Inuyasha said. “Look, I’m not going to tell you what to do, but don’t lose it, okay? You have friends and family _here_ , and Sesshoumaru is an odd one. I don’t even know why he comes for that little girl all the time.”

“Ah,” Kagome said, pointing at him with a grin. “That only means there’s hope for him.”

Inuyasha sighed. “Fine, whatever, but promise me something?” Kagome met his eyes. “If he rejects your gift, will you give it a rest?”

Kagome inhaled a heavy breath and considered his words. “I suppose there would be no point after that.” She furrowed her brow. “It would be the rudest injustice to deny my hard work; plus, this sash is one of a kind. Think of how powerful he could be with it? He could rule his lands and even gain more.”

“Well, you try telling that to him,” he said, rubbing his chin. He laughed a little, and Kagome didn’t expect to see his temper so subdued after all she’d done. “I admit, I’m curious to see what the bastard does too.”

“And…if he refuses it, I’ll just give it to you,” she said confidently.

“Forget it. I don’t want that thing,” he said with an offended grunt. “You forget I have Tessaiga. I don’t need it. Sesshoumaru probably needs it more than I do anyway,” he added with a cackle. 

“Fine,” she said, rising from her spot in their house. She looked down at him as he began to rise from the floor as well. “Come to Kaede’s with me? I want to ask Rin to relay my message to Sesshoumaru.”

Inuyasha nodded, and Kagome watched him pause, and his ears twitched and he gave the air a sniff. “No need. He’s here.”

Before he turned toward her, Kagome had already bolted out their door in a flash. Inuyasha sighed heavily, wondering if she would become victim to her overbearing excitement again. He hoped she didn’t, and he followed her path out to the group greeting Sesshoumaru. The dragon was with him, and he was looking down at Rin; however, this visit seemed to be different than usual. He had come to Rin empty handed when he normally had a new kimono or two prepared for her.

Inuyasha was astounded at his next move, and when he turned to a jubilant Kagome, he couldn’t believe it. His brother addressed her.

“This Sesshoumaru has heard a rumor that you have made him a gift,” he said bluntly, and Inuyasha felt his temper rising. It was almost as if he expected it!

Kagome was indeed surprised. “How did you know?” Both Inuyasha and Kagome turned to Rin, who looked sheepishly at her toes.

“Rin is sorry, Kagome-chan. Rin told Sesshoumaru-sama you were working so hard on a gift for him. I was too excited and called for him,” she said, and she looked as though she was prepared to get beaten.

“Ah, that saves me the trouble!” Kagome said happily as Rin relaxed with relief, and she turned to his brother with a huge, beaming grin. “I have it finished!” She held up the sash as it glittered in the sunlight. Sesshoumaru took it cautiously and carefully to not rip it with his claws. “Miko-enhanced, lifetime warranty,” she added with a wink.

He seemed unaffected by her good spirits, yet he inspected the sash closely and wordlessly, more than intrigued. His eyes flashed at Kagome suspiciously. “What do you intend by this, miko? What do you hope to gain from bribing this Sesshoumaru with such a gift?”

“Bribe! Are you serious?” she asked offended, and Inuyasha felt Kagome’s rising anger. Quickly, he moved to join her side, making sure she did not lose it with his brother - and thus violence would ensue and he’d have to swoop in and save her.

“There is no other reason you would gain this Sesshoumaru’s attention. It is evident that you wish to acquire something from me, so name your price and bother me no further,” he said roughly.

Inuyasha thought Kagome was really something at this point. Not only was she not scared, but she was also amused by his audacity and misinterpretation. She released a loud guffaw, and she met him defiantly with her fists on her hips. 

“I’m not trying to bribe you, Sesshoumaru! I’m trying to be your friend, your family. Is that really so hard to understand?” she answered him, and his brother looked incredulous like he’d never heard of something so ridiculous before.

Inuyasha tensed when he saw his brother lean closely to Kagome’s face and inspect her curiously. In a low voice he asked, “Are you well, miko?”

Kagome blinked, and when she couldn’t stand his piercing stare any longer, she released a fit of giggles. She bent over clutching her stomach and couldn’t stop. Sesshoumaru watched her even more bewildered, but he was becoming annoyed. When she regained her composure, she wiped the tears from her eyes and answered, “Yes, I’m fine, silly!” Inuyasha’s jaw dropped at her address, but Sesshoumaru took no offense to it (luckily). “Now do you want the sash or not? Can you at least use it?”

Sesshoumaru looked down at the sash. “Explain its merits. I feel holy power coming from it, but it does not affect me.”

“As it shouldn’t, nor will it affect your brother or any weaker youkai; however, strong youkai such as yourself cannot come within five feet of you before being blasted with holy power that could incapacitate them for several seconds, enough time for you to strike.”

“A useful weapon,” Sesshoumaru said admirably, leaving Inuyasha even more gob-smacked by his behavior. His brother turned to Kagome in disbelief. “One wonders how you could achieve such power,” he added, raising a single eyebrow.

Kagome smirked and crossed her arms proudly. “Well, I’ve picked up some skills since we’ve defeated Naraku.”

Inuyasha couldn’t believe it. His brother was actually accepting the gift, and if he didn’t know any better, he’d say Sesshoumaru was impressed with Kagome as well.

“This Sesshoumaru will not accept this without barter or a price,” he said, addressing Kagome seriously, and she became a little miffed by his attitude.

“I don’t want anything but your friendship, Sesshoumaru,” she said resolutely.

“It is immaterial,” Sesshoumaru said, exasperated. Though he made no gesture to return the sash, he wouldn’t take Kagome’s friendship for it. “I will return a favor to you some day. You have my word.” He bowed briskly to her, and Inuyasha supposed this was all Sesshoumaru could do at the moment. Kagome turned to him with surprise, but he could see the fires of victory shining in her eyes.

Damn. It seemed as though her mission to befriend Sesshoumaru wasn’t over yet. He sighed inwardly and merely glared at his brother, who paid him no mind, still fascinated by Kagome’s empowered sash. 

“Sesshoumaru-sama!” Jaken came running toward them, and Inuyasha forgot that the little imp youkai was around here somewhere, probably coerced away by Kaede’s food. Sesshoumaru shot his servant a bored look as Jaken hurriedly came upon them, and Kagome watched in wonder as the sash in Sesshoumaru’s hands began to glow.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, holding up her hands to ward Jaken off; however, it was too late.

The sash activated with a burst of holy energy, flinging Jaken and the staff of heads backward into a prickly brush. Rin ran over to him alarmed, but Sesshoumaru was more intrigued by the display of the sash’s potential. He regarded Kagome attentively.

“It appears your sash works adequately,” he said, still intrigued.

“But...it’s not supposed to hurt smaller youkai!” Kagome fretted. She turned to a moaning Jaken in the bush as Rin tended to him. “I’m so sorry, Jaken!”

“Jaken has the Staff of Heads, so his power is not what it appears,” Sesshoumaru explained. “However, I doubt the results would be the same if he did not have the staff,” he added.

“Poor little guy,” Kagome remarked sympathetically, and it was obvious she hated that Sesshoumaru accepted the gift at Jaken’s expense. 

Inuyasha, on the other hand, was just glad _he_ was not at the receiving end of that gift. Though, he had a feeling he would not be so lucky in the future if this strange friendship between Kagome and his brother continued.


	9. Gift Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "knock" for iyfic-contest.

“Sesshoumaru-sama, you cannot use Kagome-chan’s gift!”

Awestruck, the group turned toward Rin, who was still fretting over an injured Jaken. Kagome was too elated by her victory in claiming Sesshoumaru’s attention with her sash that she almost overlooked the anxious state of his ward. She noticed the tears in Rin’s eyes and frowned, feeling horrible.

“Rin, this sash is a useful weapon. Do not concern yourself,” he said, and Kagome didn’t expect Sesshoumaru to be so enamored with her gift that he would refuse Rin’s request.

Rin gently released Jaken, who had finally woken up, albeit somewhat shaken. She ran over to Sesshoumaru and grabbed the sash out of his hand. Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed at her defiance.

“Jaken-sama is _hurt_ ,” Rin cried, and she turned from Sesshoumaru’s intrigued eyes toward Kagome. “Please, Kagome-chan, can you fix it so Jaken-sama cannot get injured?”

“Rin!” Sesshouamru chastised, but Kagome waved him off.

“No, it’s fine, and Rin-chan’s right,” she said, bowing to Rin and taking the sash delicately from her grasp. “I can do it,” she said resolutely. “Jaken wasn’t meant to be knocked out from it anyway.”

Sesshoumaru looked back and forth at Rin and Kagome, nodding tersely. “Very well, I will return again.” He turned around to depart, and Kagome sensed Rin’s relief beside her as he flew into the sky.

The young girl smiled gratefully at her, and Kagome knew that if she were going to gain Sesshoumaru’s elusive friendship, she’d have to befriend Rin and Jaken as well.


	10. Back Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "murky" at dokuga-contest.

As expected, Sesshoumaru returned to the village. Surprisingly, he really _did_ want her gift, or at least, he showed more interest in her trinket than her “help” in the battle with Naraku.

Flying out of the murky sky, Sesshoumaru landed in front of the shrine as she was leaving. Kagome wiped the sweat off her brow and beamed. She saw Jaken hiding angrily behind his Lord’s fluffy pelt.

He gave her his usual impatient look, and she stifled a rude laugh. She handed him the empowered sash _again_.

“It’s ready!” She glanced nervously at both Jaken and Sesshoumaru. “I think.”


	11. Rapid Proof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "thoughtless" at iyfic-contest.

As expected, Jaken cowered behind Sesshoumaru and would not budge, and apparently he intended to kill her with his stare as well. Kagome sighed. She’d really worked tirelessly to make sure the sash didn’t bring any harm to him, and as much as she hated thinking about the imp or visualizing him to enact her power, she did it, for both Rin and Sesshoumaru’s sakes.

“Jaken, please; I promise it’s okay now,” Kagome reassured, and she noticed that Sesshoumaru was getting irritated at waiting for Jaken to test drive his newly revised gift.

Kagome knew that Sesshoumaru would be thoughtless enough to kick Jaken off his leg and onto the sash just to hurry things along, but she moved quickly to prevent such an occurrence (to not upset Rin again), so she bounced ahead, grabbed the screeching youkai and snuggled him in the sash despite his weak retaliation. The Staff of Heads even seemed impatient, as it fell inert in defending him.

He froze in terror, soon realizing that her sash didn’t send him flying this time; though, still unsure, Jaken cautiously started peeling off the garment regardless. Kagome beamed her brightest smile at Sesshoumaru, who appeared mostly content (for him anyway).

“Good, this gift is now acceptable. This Sesshoumaru will soon return the favor,” he said, scrutinizing her intently. “Provided the terms are within reason.”

Kagome’s face felt hot as her mind buzzed at the meaning behind his words. Just what did he think she wanted really from him?


	12. Stipulation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "treat" for dokuga-contest.

Kagome felt a little nervous in imagining what Sesshoumaru’s repayment would be. The fact that she’d wish for anything at all other than his friendship did not cross her mind, and knowing that Sesshoumaru was just the sort of youkai who hated owing _anyone anything_ was a quick dose of reality.

He obviously meant to tie up this debt right away, and Kagome watched numbly as he tied the sash around his sword’s sheath and met her eyes. He seemed to have a plan for her even before he arrived to the village, and she supposed it was a boost to her confidence that he had expected her gift to work once she fixed it to not harm Jaken.

“Miko,” he said, snapping her out of her daze. She furrowed her brow.

“It’s Kagome,” she said, a little too breathlessly as she met his stare.

“I will repay your debt, but in order to do so, you must accompany this Sesshoumaru to the Northern Lands,” he said.

Kagome felt even more confused. What sort of treat was she in for? “What? Why?” she asked, and she hadn’t intended on leaving the village, and she suspected that Inuyasha would be angry with her for even considering it; however, she supposed she couldn’t refuse.

This was Sesshoumaru after all.

“I need your assistance yet again, but when we are done, I give you my word that your time and your gift will be repaid in full,” Sesshoumaru said.

Kagome shook her head. “I still don’t understand.”

Sesshoumaru looked perturbed that he had to explain anything further, but Kagome stood her ground. She wasn’t going anywhere with him unless he told her more about it.

“A former ally has taken something of mine, an inheritance of my mother’s. In her own amusement, she gave it to him, knowing I would not approve. You are aware of the Meidou Seki? It was a later price I would pay for having her revive Rin.”

“What did your mother gave away?”

“Ah-Un’s mate, another two headed dragon. The beast is rightfully mine, and when we get it back, you may have its egg as your payment.”

Kagome’s eyes widened. “Let me get this straight; you’re giving me a live dragon egg in return for the sash?”

Kagome swore she saw a tiny smirk lift his lips. “Of course, but we must rescue the mother first.”


	13. The Journey Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "missing out" for iyfic-contest.

“HELL NO, Kagome!” Inuyasha said, and Kagome challenged his angry stare with her own, not backing down. “You’re not going with him, not if I have anything to say anything about it!”

“Well, you don’t, Inuyasha!” she said, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

“The hell I don’t! We’re mates now and you listen to me! You are not going on some adventure with my asshole brother!” Inuyasha demanded, even though Sesshoumaru was right there, listening to every insult. Kagome still wouldn’t budge.

“And you don’t own me! Don’t think because you’re from this era that you can act like I’m your property! I’m going, and you don’t have to worry,” she said, her angry brow still knitted together.

“Oh yeah? Well, I’m not missing out on anything he’s roped you into. I’m coming with for your protection,” Inuyasha said, puffing up his chest. Finally, Sesshoumaru decided to intervene.

“My brother is not invited on this mission, miko. Only you and no one else,” he stated firmly, only talking to her and ignoring Inuyasha’s presence. Inuyasha turned to his brother like he was going to pummel him. Kagome put a hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder, knowing it wouldn’t deter him, but at least, showing that she wanted him to settle down.

“Why you bastard!” he raged at him. “What gives you the right to take my Kagome away with you?” He eyed him suspiciously. “What’s your scheme anyway?”

Sesshoumaru huffed at him. “Do not worry, cur; it is nothing that you imply. I have no interest in the miko other than her skills and the debt I owe her.”

“Her skills?”

“I need a moderately useful miko to accompany me to rescue the dragon. I could pick any miko in any of these surrounding villages, but since I owe Kagome a debt, I chose her.” He paused, and Kagome noticed that his stoic expression transformed into annoyance. His tone rang like a chill through Kagome’s bones. “I do not like owing humans debts.”

Inuyasha was still angry; he swore every word that would sully a person’s ears. Finally, he turned to Kagome and tried to convince her to change her mind again, this time with genuine regard.

“Kagome, please, don’t do this,” Inuyasha said.

“I’m sorry, Inuyasha. I already made a promise to Sesshoumaru, and well, he owes me,” she said.   
“Is this what you want from him? To have him owe you a debt?” Inuyasha asked, almost hurt.

“No, I just wanted his friendship, to get to know him better as family,” she said, and she smiled lightly. “I think this adventure with him will give me that, and think of it! I’ll get a dragon egg for my troubles!”

Inuyasha sighed, and his shoulders relaxed as she took him into an embrace. 

“I wish I could come to protect you,” he said, finally relenting to her choice. He still didn’t want to give his approval on her leaving the village without him, but maybe after it’s done, this madness with Kagome and Sesshoumaru will end.

“Do not worry, brother,” Sesshoumaru said, and for once, his tone wasn’t mocking. “You have my word that I will keep the miko safe while she is away.”

Inuyasha turned to his older brother and glared. “You better, or I’ll ram Tessaiga so far up your ass, it’ll shred that stick up there to splinters.”

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow, but he said nothing and motioned the miko to follow him. Kagome turned to Inuyasha, giving him another hug and goodbye kiss. 

“I’ll be back soon!” she said, waving happily as she padded behind Sesshoumaru. For some odd reason, she felt like she was walking in Rin’s footsteps. Sesshoumaru didn’t say much to her, and he didn’t take off toward the sky. Strangely enough, the beginning of their journey started with them walking silently down the dirt path leaving the village. Heading north bound, Kagome sprinted to catch up with him and walk by his side. 

She was most certainly not Rin, and she wouldn’t walk behind him like a servant. When the inu youkai did not protest her presence at his side, she smiled, feeling suddenly at ease.

She was surprised a terrible fight didn’t break out between the two brothers back there. In the past, Inuyasha’s guts would have been poking out of his stomach if she had decided to go with Sesshoumaru; however, back then she wouldn’t have been so crazy to be within five feet of Sesshoumaru, let alone become his traveling companion.

Funny how things have changed, she mused silently, enjoying the warm summer wind caressing her face. She turned to her side, admiring the way Sesshoumaru’s hair glittered in the sunlight.

He caught her staring at him, and she averted her eyes, feeling the flush rise to her cheeks.

“Um…so, where is this dragon we’re going to rescue?” she asked, hoping small talk would save her from Sesshoumaru’s dangerous eyes.

“North,” he simply replied, and Kagome sighed. As if she didn’t already figure that out.

“What sort of youkai has it captive?” she pried, and Sesshoumaru looked perturbed, but he was starting to realize that she wouldn’t stay quiet.

“A fire youkai who collects mystical beasts, like dragons,” he answered bluntly. Kagome’s mouth gaped as he looked at her. She thought she saw a flash of a grin. “And special humans sometimes.”

Her eyes widened. She hoped that he wasn’t implying what she thought he was. No, would Sesshoumaru really trade her for the dragon? He gave his word he wouldn’t put her in danger.   
Would he promise those terms more loosely? As long as she was alive, Kagome was sure that Sesshoumaru considered her safe in body and spirit, and not much more of his concern. She felt a drop of anxiety pool in her belly.

Perhaps Inuyasha had been right. Was it really a good idea for her to travel with Sesshoumaru? After all, his ideals and scruples were not at all like his brother’s. He was a different personality entirely from Inuyasha, or any other ‘good’ sort of youkai she’d ever encountered, and calling Sesshoumaru good was definitely a liberal use of the word.

Goosebumps bubbled on the nape of her neck, and Kagome began to tremble. They continued walking, and she no longer felt the weight of Sesshoumaru’s stare.

And the less Sesshoumaru said to her or even regarded her, the more Kagome was worried about what he really had planned for her.


	14. Bad Feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "sleeve" for iyfic-contest.

When Miroku found Inuyasha, his face was red with fury and he was inspecting his sword before he slid the enchanted blade back into the scabbard. Cautiously, Miroku approached him, knowing his friend was on his way to take a journey under extreme stress.

“Kagome-sama has left with your brother,” Miroku observed bluntly, looking over his friend’s shoulder. The matter-of-fact statement seemed to pour salt into the wound, and when Inuyasha met his eyes, his nostrils flared like he was ready to take his anger out on someone other than the person who deserved it. Miroku gave him an easy smile, hoping to calm him.

“I take it you’re following them?” Miroku said, and Inuyasha harrumphed as he headed toward their direction. Miroku pulled on his sleeve before he was out of reach, and had one more thing to say.

“I have a ominous feeling about this, Inuyasha,” Miroku said, and Inuyasha nodded.

“I know, that’s why I’m going,” he said.

“No, my friend, you misunderstood me. I believe your brother has a specific plan. I have a bad feeling about you going after them,” Miroku said, and Inuyasha turned around to glare at him. 

“Quiet, bozu; I don’t care about that bastard’s plans! I only care about Kagome,” he snarled.

Miroku sighed. Despite his intuition, Inuyasha would go after Kagome no matter what the danger, and he didn’t trust his brother enough for anything.

Miroku knew that no words were going to convince his friend to stay.


	15. Culmination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "optimism" for iyfic-contest.

Kagome wasn’t exactly feeling optimistic about traveling with Sesshoumaru anymore. The sun was already setting, and she was getting tired from walking. Unfortunately for her, Sesshoumaru coldly refused her the chance to rest on many occasions. 

Her thoughts were frenetic with paranoia and suspicion, and she was on edge since Sesshoumaru mentioned they would be meeting the fire youkai. As usual, Sesshoumaru was cryptic about any information regarding this youkai, and Kagome could only fear the worst on how well he would end up receiving them.

Sesshoumaru stopped abruptly on the dirt path they were walking, out in the open with a cluster of trees on both sides of them. Kagome sighed heavily. “Thank, Kami!” she said breathlessly, but after she stretched her arms and legs, she looked up to see Sesshoumaru tense, sniffing the air and sweeping the area with a cool, calculated gaze.

“Uh oh,” Kagome said immediately, but Sesshoumaru glared at her to be silent. Kagome’s jaw shut audibly, and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Her senses flared, but more importantly, she could detect youki coming upon them fast. The youki wasn’t as all-encompassing and familiar as Sesshoumaru’s. No. This was multiple levels of power circling around them all at once. 

Sesshoumaru came at her, grabbing her and putting her behind him. “Kagome,” he said, finally using her name. “After this, you must remember to trust me,” he spoke with a growl.

Then, before Kagome could respond, they were seized.


	16. Overpowered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "never again" for iyfic-contest.

Stars started to twinkle in the sky as Inuyasha tracked Kagome’s scent. He stopped, and his blood went cold when her smell stalled in the air. There was a faint trace of it in the road ahead, just as his brother’s, but they were both being overpowered by something else.

He snorted. “Youki combined with dark holy magic,” he said to himself, recognizing the evil energy as similar to Tsubaki’s work from long ago. Not the same because she was dead, but there was definitely a dark miko at work here, as well as other unfamiliar youkai.

He narrowed his eyes down the thin path. If his brother was teaming up with these youkai to kidnap Kagome, Inuyasha promised to cut off all four of his brother’s limbs with Tessaiga the next time he found the bastard, so that he’d never walk again.

Suddenly, Inuyasha sensed it. Something was coming for him at all sides. Could it be the same thing that captured Kagome? Was it one of his brother’s nefarious allies? He readied his sword. He grinned confidently, itching for a challenge like this since Naraku’s reign.

“Come out, you bastards!” Inuyasha hollered, and he heard echoing laughter within the ominous breeze. Inuyasha’s eyes swept the area, waiting for the moment they would show themselves. Then, he’d torture them all until they gave back his Kagome.

Unexpectedly, an impossible power hit him with a crippling force. Inuyasha struggled futilely against it, and his sword promptly fell at his feet.


	17. Captured

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "true story" for iyfic-contest.

When Kagome finally came to, she felt the stretch of her arm muscles and realized her hands were bound. She groaned from a headache and looked through a crack in the wood beneath her. She was tied up like a prisoner and being transported somewhere in a rickety cart. She assumed her captors to be the fire youkai that Sesshoumaru spoke of, and if he knew this was how the youkai was going to treat him, she might just have to kill him if they got out of this alive.

“Kagome.” When she heard her name on his lips, she snapped her head up and glared at him. Her anger slightly disappeared when she realized he was bound too. 

“What…what did they do to us?” Her mouth was so dry she could barely speak. Her head was still fuzzy from what happened to them, and right about now she really wanted some answers, and more than anything, some reassurance that Sesshoumaru had a plan for escape. However, while he was bound as well by powerful magic, she was starting to lose faith that Sesshoumaru could do anything to help them.

“The fire youkai is taking us to his castle,” Sesshoumaru said simply, and Kagome was amazed that he wasn’t even worried, not even while he was tied up.

“Let me guess, you can’t get us out of here,” Kagome asked with aggravation.

“Quiet, human.” An unfamiliar voice startled her, and Kagome realized they weren’t alone. She snapped her head around to meet the large impish eyes of their warden. It was almost the same kappa species as Jaken, only he was larger, and well, if it was possible, uglier.

Speaking of Jaken, Kagome was glad Sesshoumaru left him and the two-headed dragon back at the village with Rin. As much as she detested Jaken, she didn’t want him to get in some sort of trouble that would hurt him. She was sure Rin would never forgive her, even if wasn’t directly her fault. Letting her thoughts fade, she turned to the large imp youkai who was glaring a hole in her.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. “No, I will not be quiet! Who the hell are you? And what right do you have bind us like this? We just want an audience with your master, and if this is any way he treats his guests, well…”

“Kagome, be silent,” Sesshoumaru said. “We are not guests.”

The imp laughed at them. “The dog is correct,” he said, earning a glower from Sesshoumaru. “My master knew about you two. He’s very delighted to have you; though, you will not be his guests.”

Kagome’s anger subsided and was replaced with fear. What has Sesshoumaru gotten her into? If he knew that this was how his former ally was going to treat them, why wouldn’t he resist? Unless… Maybe he wants the fire youkai to think he has the upper hand. Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru, still calmly resolving to his youki-sealing restraints. Kagome felt the wave of power that was binding her and Sesshoumaru, and she felt somewhat inadequate. The fire youkai must be employing quite a powerful miko, dark or not.

“Well, this is just great,” Kagome grunted, and Sesshoumaru shot her another glare.

“No more talking,” he told her, and his cold command made the imp laugh again.

“Oh, my master will like you, the inu Taiyoukai and his miko slave,” he said, and Kagome spun around to him. 

Adrenaline and anger shot through her, and she managed to reach out one of her free legs and kick the imp off his stool. “I am not his slave, you jerk!” she hollered at him. He blubbered and cried from the impact as he fell on his side, and when he composed himself, he waddled up to Kagome and gave her a slap. She met his eyes again with defiance, and she was tempted to spit on him, but she thought against it. He’d probably do something worse to her, and the bruise was already forming on her cheek.

She turned back to Sesshoumaru instead, instantly blaming him. “This is all your fault,” she said, and when Sesshoumaru showed no emotion or guilt for what he had gotten her into, Kagome turned away from his stare with a “humph!” and decided to close her eyes.

After an awkward moment of heated silence, Kagome heard the imp chuckling to himself, as if his thoughts were amusing him. She rolled her eyes as he met her gaze again.

“Do you want to hear a true story, miko slave?” he asked her, and Kagome honestly didn’t want to hear the imp’s voice any longer, but she had to admit this bumpy ride of complete silence in a rickety cart was just as excruciating as the bruise on her cheek.

“I have a feeling you’re going to tell it to us no matter what we say,” Kagome shot at him.

“It is the story of my master’s greatness,” the imp said, and Kagome heard Sesshoumaru scoff at her left. 

“Oh boy, this should be epic,” Kagome said sarcastically. “Do please continue.” Her voice was mocking, and the imp really didn’t appreciate it, but he continued his tale anyway.

“The great fire youkai Asobibi is legendary, but his doings are quiet. He does not interfere with the wars of men or the sky dogs,” the imp said, looking at Sesshoumaru pointedly. “He gains his power from simple collection. He waits until battles are lost and strongholds are destroyed, and then, he barters or sometimes takes the glorious possessions of defeated kings.”

“So he’s a grave robber, lovely,” Kagome said.

“Silence! My master is no such thing! He is a collector of splendid things, of mystical objects. He fosters only special humans and youkai, and under his rule we live in riches and safety,” the imp said, insulted by Kagome’s banter.

She shook her head. “It still sounds like he’s just some jerk who robs people and brainwashes his followers! How could he really be powerful? He sounds like he’s never fought a battle in his life, which makes his notoriety more of a dishonor than something to be proud of,” Kagome told him, earning another, harder slap.

“Bite your tongue, witch!” the imp said, and Kagome felt the rant was worth it. She’d do it all over again, and she was still upset that Sesshoumaru got her involved with someone like this, a youkai that collects special things and people. So what does he want with them? And does he really have Ah-Un’s mate? Suddenly, Kagome didn’t think she could trust anything Sesshoumaru said at this point.

“The miko is correct, toad,” he said. “Your master is a coward, and I know him personally. I could tell you stories of all the shameful things your master has done to gain his reputation. He is a sniveling fool who surrounds himself with other sniveling fools.”

“Yes, and you can say this because you are the great Sesshoumaru, Taiyoukai of the Western lands,” seethed the imp. “How is your mother? And what about your bastard brother?” His anger seemed to subside, and Kagome felt a chill as she watched him, seeing the sick satisfaction on his face, as if he knew something more to all of this than he was telling them.

Sesshoumaru did not like the imp mentioning his family. “You lowly maggot, how dare you speak of them.”

“Oh, how protective you are, even when you can do nothing,” said the imp, and for the first time since Kagome woke up, she finally saw Sesshoumaru struggle with his bindings. This scared her even more because maybe he didn’t have the grasp on their situation as Kagome hoped.

“Try all you like, Lord Sesshoumaru,” said the imp, his formal address a mockery. “You know that my master only uses the best miko.” He turned to Kagome. “And soon, he will gain another one. We thank you for your patronage in bringing her.”

“Silence,” he growled at him, but the imp continued taunting him. 

“And thank you for yourself and…well, the bonus gift to my master,” he chuckled wickedly. “To think, we have three of the warriors who defeated the great and terrible monster Naraku who terrorized the lands. Ah! What treasures to add to my master’s collection!”

“Wait, what do you mean three?” Kagome asked, panicking. “There are only two of us here! Who else have you taken?” She felt a chill in her bones when he looked at her. 

“Why it is your beloved, miko, come to protect you from the shadows. We’ve been watching all of you for a long time, and though you did not know he followed you, we did, and he was easier to capture than his most powerful brother,” the imp said.

“The fool,” Sesshoumaru said in an exasperated breath. Kagome was too shaken to turn to him and yell at him properly. She felt unshed tears in her eyes.

“No,” she said, and suddenly she felt guilty for getting Inuyasha mixed up in this. She should have known. He would never have left her to go off with his brother by herself. Even after Naraku’s defeat, he still didn’t trust him, and though they have some mutual understanding, she supposed Inuyasha would never trust him, even until he died.

“Inuyasha,” she spoke in an agonizing breath, and she wished her hands were free so she could bury her face in them.


	18. Quick Lullaby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "boss battle" for iyfic-contest.

Kagome knew she couldn’t cry and worry for Inuyasha forever. She had to think of something to get out of this situation and rescue him, even if Sesshoumaru silently kept his plans to himself - as expected, and only wanted to involve her in his schemes unless it suited him.

Sniffling slightly, she narrowed her eyes at the imp who seemed to enjoy making her cry. He leered at her with mangled brown teeth, and she had to suppress a shudder. 

Upon closer inspection, she realized something about this particular imp youkai. While she was learning about all the youkai in her priestess training with Kaede, she remembered this kind specifically. 

“A priestess' voice, no matter how terrible, can affect this imp in an advantageous way,” Kaede had said. 

_Of course_ , she thought. Without hesitating, Kagome could only try her theory, and she did. She started slowly, humming a pop tune from her time, Utada Hikaru to be exact, and she watched closely as the imp's eyes widened and ears perked up. When she opened her mouth and the lyrics of the song poured from her lips, the imp’s eyes became glazed over and soon, heavy.

Satisfied by the imp’s quick snoring, Kagome continued to hum lightly to keep the spell going. She turned to Sesshoumaru, whom was intrigued (in which Kagome translated as mildly _impressed_ ) and she sung to him very melodiously without interference from the sleeping imp. 

_“So what do you have planned against this demon collector boss?”_


	19. The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "stolen" for ib4y20 on livejournal. Word count limit 500.

When Kagome could be sure that the imp was truly asleep, she took a deep breath and cooled her rising temper. She turned to Sesshoumaru and glared at him, knowing full well she couldn’t keep back the anger at all. She still managed to keep her voice down to not alert the driver, but it was difficult, and after all they had been through, she really wanted to yell.  _Loudly._

Instead, her words came at him in a sharp hiss. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He turned away from her angry gaze for a moment and she watched as he lifted his chin higher, as if he was even above bringing her into his plans.

“Come on, Sesshoumaru, you brought me into this, we’re obviously kidnapped and so is Inuyasha, so you better fill me in so I can help,” she demanded.

“Very well. If you haven’t figured it out already, I wanted us to get captured by the fire youkai,” Sesshoumaru explained.

“Really? No way!” Kagome said sarcastically. Sesshoumaru shot her a bored look.

“With this particular foe, it is more advantageous to let him think he has the upper hand. He brings us into his realm and castle without struggle, and we are that much closer to obtaining the stolen dragon.”

Kagome admitted that made sense, but there were too many unknowns with his plan. 

“That’s great, but you forgot that we are bound by this dark miko energy. If this imp character is right, this Asobibi guy has a really powerful miko that could pose trouble for us. I mean, even you are bound by her restraints.”

Sesshoumaru shifted in his seat. Kagome sore she saw his hair toss back in one prissy motion of his head.  _How does he even do that tied up?_   She wondered. She supposed Sesshoumaru’s vanity powers knew no bounds.

“I could get out of these restraints in due time if I wanted to, but that wouldn’t get us in the realm if I struggled, as I mentioned. Please try to keep up, human,” he said, and he met her eyes with a cool intensity. “I have no worries when it comes to the dark miko. I chose you for a reason, miko. You are not just my brother’s mate. You are the miko that helped take down Naraku, as I recall. Did I err in choosing you for this quest?”

Kagome huffed at him. “Fine, but you don’t have to be a jerk about it. Plus, you should have told me this plan from the beginning. How am I supposed to help you get this dragon back if you don’t tell me the full plan?”

Sesshoumaru leaned back against the wall of the cart and looked forward, seemingly content to wait out the rest of their capture. “If I would have told you, miko, your reaction to the kidnapping would not have been as convincing to our captors.”

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. She hated when he was right.


	20. Enemy Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome and Sesshoumaru arrive at their captor's castle, and Kagome discovers something interesting within.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the "The smaller the mind the greater the conceit. - Aesop" prompt at ib4y20.

Eventually, their captors’ rolling cart had come to a stop. Kagome peeked through the uneven boards of the back wall and noticed the bridge they’d come over in front of a huge castle, surrounded by thick trees and fog.

The sleeping imp made gruff noises as he’d awakened, and when he’d slowly realized what had happened, he turned his furious eyes to Kagome.

“Witch! You spelled me!” he accused, and Kagome rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders.

“It was easy. Kid stuff,” Kagome said, and if her hands weren’t bound she’d fake a yawn and cover her mouth.

In revenge, the imp handled her quite roughly as the driver guided Sesshoumaru out of the cart. They were pushed ahead in front of the castle doors, and Kagome was still awed by Sesshoumaru’s cooperation even though she knew his plan. She felt confident at least that Sesshoumaru would eventually take over this youkai, and maybe he’d use her new sash against him, showing her what it could do besides beat up poor Jacken. The sash wouldn’t work on these imps, of course, and the dark miko would more than circumvent the magic. She was sure this fire youkai had some high powered goons that it would definitely work against.

Then, he’d find the time to strike, they could rescue Inuyasha and the dragon and be home soon.

She hoped it would be that easy, but she was still unsure on how powerful that dark miko was, and when she’d show up. She shuddered. Kagome knew it was only inevitable.

Their captors prodded them to walk through the open castle doors, and instead of meeting the fire youkai as expected, a blue butler-like youkai with fish scales met them. He was another weak one for her sash to do nothing against. Sesshoumaru met his eyes with a cold steely stare.

“This way. Master Asobibi is anxious to meet you,” the blue youkai said. 

“Awesome. We’re excited to meet him too!” Kagome said loudly, and the butler seemed taken aback by her volume. “And maybe he can let me see my husband as well!”

“Quiet, Kagome,” Sesshoumaru said, and she blinked, realizing he’d used her first name. It was refreshing and she wondered if it would last. She knew when he’d felt superior to her, he’d always refer to her as “human” or “miko”. Now, she was sure he only meant for her to calm down and behave.

The youkai bowed and then glided ahead of them as they followed. Kagome and Sesshoumaru walked closer to each other, and the two imp captors began to fall behind them. As the castle doors shut, locking them inside, they trailed off as Kagome and Sesshoumaru walked further inside.

Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru as he stared head with the same cool, controlled expression. “Do you really think you can take this guy, or is he really a weak youkai that hides behind the youkai and humans he collects?” she whispered at him.

“According to my mother, he is a boastful and conceited youkai, but his mind is small - and I gather, so is his power,” Sesshoumaru said, and he turned to Kagome with a side glance. “Do you doubt my power, miko? For I do not doubt yours.”

Kagome felt her cheeks go warm at the unexpected compliment. “Well, no, but I want to be ready for what we have to go up against. And I’m not sure if your mother’s assessment makes me feel better. She probably thinks a lot of youkai are small and lacking in comparison.”

“Do not worry,” Sesshoumaru said. “We will rescue my brother.” She watched as he turned his gaze ahead again, staring a hole in the back of the butler’s head.

Kagome sighed. So he knew without asking why she was worried. This fire youkai and his goons had Inuyasha, and she knew they couldn’t just walk out of here with a dragon anymore. There were so many unknowns to their capture too. The dark miko was also lurking around too. She felt a pit of ache in her stomach, and she didn’t have a good feeling about their potential foes.

She distracted herself by sweeping her gaze around the room, taking in their surroundings. Several artifacts and precious antiques were on display on wooden pedestals perfectly aligned against the wall next to each other. Pinholes from the ceiling were letting rays of light onto the artifacts, creating multiple, controlled spotlights over them. 

Kagome stopped when she noticed something in particular. Sesshoumaru continued on a few steps forward before he noticed her lagging behind. “Come on, Kagome.”

“But....” she said, still staring at the particular artifacts which had caught her eye. “It’s…”

The butler youkai cleared his throat, and she reluctantly moved ahead to follow after them again. The idea of these artifacts stuck in her thoughts, and she knew that once she had a chance, she’d have to liberate them later.

She recognized the pair of artifacts immediately too, and she’d never forget them. Upon that pedestal under a dusty ray of light, Midoriko’s bow and arrow were propped against each other, with bright pulsating power, just daring her to steal them.


	21. The Famous Lord Asobibi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome and Sesshoumaru finally meet their captor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for "Sesshomaru's mother image" at ib4y20. UPDATE - Was missing a chapter. I am currently working on finishing this through WIPbigbang.

Kagome really wanted Midoriko’s bow and arrow, but as she and Sesshoumaru were being guided down farther into the dark corridors, she felt a sense of longing for it - getting a feel of its power just by standing mere meters from them.

The rest of the corridor was also fascinating. Spotlight accentuated many artifacts, and soon, they were passing objects that were alive: gas trapped in glass, more than likely some putrid youkai miasma; enchanted eyes in jars as they blinked at her passing by; and dangerous youkai in cages that perhaps had fought to escape at one time, but now they were defeated, peering at Kagome and Sesshoumaru as if they longed to eat them as an overdue meal.

“Ah, my guests!” A loud, booming voice echoed throughout the expansive space of the castle, and Kagome watched as the same voice made glass artifacts shake on their pedestals.

Kagome snapped her head toward the voice, and finally they came face-to-face with the famed Asobibi. He was certainly flamboyant in appearance, with a multi-colored cape from all sorts of colored furs of various youkai and oni sewn together. His pants barely covered his knees mottled with red curly hair, which matched the wild fiery afro on his head. On his knobby feet he wore gilded sandals, and when Kagome looked in to his face, he reminded her of a serial killer clown. His skin was so pale and dotted with strange facial spots that a clown was the only thing in which Kagome could compare him.

Almost immediately she could feel Sesshoumaru’s youki flaring up at the sight of him. His expression was impassive and stoic as usual, but she knew he was stewing with anger underneath that perfect hair.

“Isn’t it the famed Sesshoumaru! How is your mother these days?” he asked him, and the mention of Sesshoumaru’s mother did not affect his youki but it didn’t help settle him down either. Of course, Asobibi had to go on about her too.

“She’s such a fair creature, your mother. Such a magnanimous ruler too. Though she can be quite brutal as reputation precedes her, but who can call such a beautiful youkai brutal? So fair, with her silver hair and blazing eyes. And when she transforms...Oh! She is a sight in her natural form. So impressive!” 

Sesshoumaru looked at him coolly. “My mother is well, but she is unhappy about your recent behavior, Lord Asobibi.”

Asobibi waved his hands around as if Sesshoumaru’s tone was no concern to him. “Ah well, we can clear that up. I think she just misunderstood the terms of our agreement.”

“There was no misunderstanding. You stole her dragon,” Sesshoumaru stressed.

“Details, details. But I am so fortunate you have visited as her envoy. And…” He turned to Kagome, and he looked her over so meticulously she felt ill. Her face went hot as Lord Asobibi grinned with rotten misshapen teeth. “That you brought me an alternative to barter for the dragon.”


	22. Lord Asobibi's New Collection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asobibi's demands become clear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done for WIPBigbang.

_Okay, Kagome, calm down. Don’t panic,_ she told herself. The ugly clown-looking youkai started to look her over, up and down and around, as if she were a piece of meat. She almost wished they were still dealing with the weak imp youkai. This youkai certainly gave her the creeps.

She felt her temper rising, and she glared at Asobibi, turning her eyes to Sesshoumaru. She felt an icy surge in her veins, and suddenly his cool, impassive demeanor shifted, and he smirked slightly. Watching Sesshoumaru smile was like watching mountains move. It rarely happened.

Her inner voice still reassured her everything was going to be okay, that Sesshoumaru had a plan and that he would stick to their deal, no matter what he said to this Lord Asobibi to gain his confidence. She tried to play it off that she was anxious, almost naive to Sesshoumaru’s intentions. If he would buy into Asobibi’s assumption that she really was here as a means to barter for his mother’s dragon, she would act appropriately shocked.

The only problem was that she wouldn’t be too shocked. In fact, she was somewhat afraid that Sesshoumaru would double cross her, and he would follow whatever his mother’s instructions were over their promise. A human’s debt may mean nothing when it came to what orders his mother had given him.

And Sesshoumaru was Inu Youkai, so it meant his scruples, his behavior, and any moral compass he had did not have to mimic a human’s at all, so she couldn’t just assume anything. She had enough of a history with Sesshoumaru to know that his cunning mind was notorious, and that loyalty or partiality to humans or human safety was not one of his favorite topics.

Still, she would roll with Sesshoumaru’s plan, but in the back of her mind, Kagome vowed that she would do whatever it took to get Inuyasha back - and get the hell out of this castle, too. She would also hope, given other experiences with the Inu Youkai, that Sesshoumaru’s word was worth its weight in gold.

“Well, Sesshoumaru, I take your silence as agreement. Is this legendary Shikon miko, the one that helped in the slaying of the evil hanyou Naraku, one of your offerings for your mother’s dragon?”

“One of your offerings?” Kagome seethed at him, but Sesshoumaru threw her a dangerous look to say no more. She couldn’t help it. She wanted to know what this whole exchange would entail, and she had a feeling she understood Asobibi’s meaning.

“What have you done with my husband?” she asked in an angry breath.

“Quiet,” Sesshoumaru said to her with a warning glare.

“Yes, my dear, oh yes!” replied their clownish host. “You see, Sesshoumaru has already brought me a down payment for the dragon. Well, he didn’t bring it himself, more or less led him here as a hunter lures a rabbit to food. We took him, and I myself personally inspected the goods. Soon, I will have some of the warriors that defeated Naraku. What amazing prizes for my collection! It only motivates me to collect the rest for a complete set!”

Kagome could feel her jaw quivering as anger and fear rose in her blood. “What have you done with him?” she said in a growl that would rival her husband’s. 

Sesshoumaru glared at her, but at this point she didn’t care. She didn’t care if Asobibi was having fun at her expense. In that dangerous combination of fear and anger, she felt her power rise.

“Oh!” the demon pronounced and then clapped his hands excitedly. “You are powerful, for a pure miko, that is. Now if only you mixed that power with dark, my friend here would have a formidable foe.”

Kagome’s eyes widened as Asobibi looked toward the shadows. She didn’t need to see his “friend” – she could feel its power like oil slicking across her bones. It felt dirty and encroaching, poking at her holy energy like hot needles. This energy was corrupt to the core, and Kagome had not felt such strong evil since Naraku. This miko was even darker than Tsubaki had been. 

Still, she did not come out of the light. Kagome felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, and she almost felt pulled into a murky haze. If Sesshoumaru had not finally spoken, she might have been pulled into a trance by the dark miko’s suffocating energy alone.

“You have what you want, Asobibi, now please return my mother’s dragon,” Sesshoumaru said bluntly. Kagome’s ears almost went mute at his words. Surely, he was playing. He didn’t mean to turn her over; it was all part of his rouse. She just had to believe in him.

Though she was sure by the way their eyes met, her face did not share her confidence.

“Ah yes, splendid,” Asobibi said. “One dragon for the miko and hanyou that defeated the nefarious Naraku. I think that’s a fair trade. I have plenty of dragons anyway.” The clownish youkai turned toward the shadows where his dark companion awaited instructions. “My dear, would you bring the dragon? It should be with the others in the blue wing.”

When movement shifted in the darkness, Sesshoumaru turned to Asobibi with that stone-cold face of his. Kagome knew this deal was not over, she could feel it. Hope began to fill her heart.

“I believe you have misunderstood me, cur,” Sesshoumaru said sharply. “I am not bargaining for the miko and my brother. That is not part of the deal.” His hand rested on Tenseiga, itching to unsheathe it. 

“Oh, have I? What is your deal then, Sesshoumaru? Speak frankly, for I may not like what I hear. I do have my eyes on the heroic pair and may not part with them.” Asobibi challenged him with a maniacal stare.

“It is simple, so please listen carefully. I have come with my miko companion to retrieve my brother because you are a thief. I have also come to retrieve my mother’s dragon based on the one thing she offers you in return,” Sesshoumaru stated.

“And what would your fair mother offer me through the diplomacy of her son?” Asobibi asked, though Kagome was sure he’d predict the answer.

The sound of Sesshoumaru’s sword unsheathing echoed off the dark walls of Asobibi’s macabre castle. “Your life,” he said coolly, pointing the sword at him. “Do not make this more difficult than it needs to be. You have been warned.”

“Your great mother would threaten me over a human and a hanyou? I am shocked!” he said, placing a hand on his chest in mock surprise. 

“The two issues are not related. The dragon for your life; that is my mother’s bargain,” Sesshoumaru said. “The miko and my brother for your life and the lives of your entire estate, that is my bargain.”

“Oh, well, then,” Asobibi said. “You do present quite a hard bargain.”

“You may think on it a moment if the concept is too difficult for you to understand,” Sesshoumaru droned.

Kagome had to hold back a laugh; well, it was easy, she was too shocked to really laugh at all, but under a momentary review, his statement rather amused her. If the dark miko’s energy wasn’t bearing down on her like an avalanche, she might have even added to Sesshoumaru’s remarks, but she couldn’t.

“I am afraid, Sesshoumaru-sama, that I am going to have to decline your offer,” Asobibi finally said, unfazed by Sesshoumaru’s threats. He had a lot of confidence in the miko in the shadows, Kagome surmised, and she wondered if she should be afraid for them both. “As long as the miko and her husband are already on my property, I will take ownership of them by default. Oh, and you can leave. The dragon stays in my possession as well. I do not recommend you staying for too long. My friend here, you see, she has a particular talent that I’m not sure you’ve seen before.”

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. Asobibi was enjoying this too much, and Kagome’s nerves were taut with trepidation. 

“You know me, Sesshoumaru-sama,” he said. “I am a collector of rare things. Imagine my delight in finding a miko that can consume the youki out of any youkai like it’s a meal!”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes flashed alarmed for a second, and then he stepped back closer to Kagome, his grip on Tenseiga unyielding. “Impossible.”

“Not so. I can give you a demonstration,” he said. “Unfortunately she had tried to do so with the hanyou but there was too much humanity in him. Instead, all she was able to do was turn him to stone.”

Kagome gasped. A green light pulsated into the darkness accompanied by a high-pitched laughter.

And in the green light, she saw the outline of a figure - the stone shape of Inuyasha!


	23. Warrior Alone

Kagome’s eyes widened in horror at the sight before her, and she checked herself after a breath to see if her heart had stopped. 

In front of her, amidst the laughter of the miko’s laughter, was her husband. He had been turned into a statue made of stone. 

The dark miko, the one that had hid in the shadows serving Lord Asobibi’s demands, had finally revealed herself. Of course, she and Sesshoumaru had suspected that a dark miko was at play here, a miko like Tsubaki, only more skilled. Kagome wondered how powerful this miko was, and what had happened to her that she would suddenly turn against the spirits that aided them – and nature itself – to serve someone as vile as Asobibi.

Or did he have some kind of hold over her?

Either way, Inuyasha was frozen like a statue and put among Asobibi’s collection like some sort of object. Kagome wasn’t going to stand for it. She also wasn’t going to cry or show weakness as this dark miko gloated with her laughter and challenged her with her steely gray eyes.

“You! You did this?” Kagome flashed her eyes at the miko, and she could feel her power rising to combat the dark miko’s on a spiritual level. She didn’t know if she could even match this miko, but she had enough anger and love in her bones and soul to come up with something to take her on.

“Allow me to introduce my most trusted spiritual advisor, Kiyone-sama, the most powerful priestess I have ever known. That is, until I met you, Kagome-san,” Asobibi said, his words sounding thick with confidence and malice. He did not seem worried at all. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, was starting to rise with anger next to her. She could feel his youki pulsating. Soon that cool exterior would feel molten hot. Despite this, Kagome was relieved that Sesshoumaru was still on her side, that he did not plan to bargain with her life and his brother’s at all. 

Kagome knew that he had played along for awhile (most likely to get the full story out of their nefarious host), but after Asobibi insulted him and demanded more from Sesshoumaru, he had lost his composure and had enough of the ridiculous lord’s barbs.

Sesshoumaru gave one last side-glance to Asobibi and then drew his sword, charging like a swift breeze after the more powerful source - the dark miko Kiyone. She was ready for him too, her dark miko energy raging around her like a spiritual dome, ready to let loose. 

The dark miko cackled at him, and Kagome held out her hand protectively, more out of instinct. “Wait!” But Sesshoumaru wouldn't listen – not that she expected it, and he seemed to be on a murderous mission to end this so-called formidable miko. 

He didn't seem to believe Asobibi's claim that Kiyone would suck the youki out of him to fuel her own power, and he went head on anyway. As usual, Sesshoumaru's arrogance got in the way. Kagome wished she could tell him differently, as she could sense something strange about Kiyone's energy, like it was a vacuum forming around her with her own source of power fueling it. She was reminded of those scant days in science class where she learned about black holes, and this miko's power was definitely like that. The moment Sesshoumaru charged for her with Tenseiga, she could feel his energy weaken more than usual. 

She was afraid he'd befall a worse fate than Inuyasha, who was bad enough frozen in stone.

She caught the glimmer of something on Sesshoumaru as Kiyone's darkness whirled around him – something familiar. On his person, her sash glowed brightly. She had never thought to imbue the artifact with a defense against dark miko, and it was too late for that. Still, it did seem to react to the darkness that the miko relied on to use against Sesshoumaru. 

When her power shot after him, Kagome screamed but she couldn't hear anything – like her voice was sucked into a vacuum with the youki. She felt her bones go cold, and all of her holy energy seemed to turn to ice water within her entire being, especially within her chakras. It felt like the worst violation. 

She watched in horror as Sesshoumaru succumbed to the woman's attack, and she saw him freeze as well, and almost flicker a pale, ghostly white. Then, her sash shown bright pink around him, encasing him in a small shield. 

“Sesshoumaru!” She could hear her voice again! But it didn't matter. Sesshoumaru crumpled to the ground. The good thing was that the dark miko Kiyone seemed confused that Sesshoumaru was still alive. Her power had knocked him out, but had not fully consumed his youki. He wasn't even stone. 

It must have been her sash!

_If only my sash had worked against her completely!_ she thought. She was thankful that the sash had protected Sesshoumaru, at least a little bit, in rendering him unconscious. If the miko had intended to turn Sesshoumaru into a statue like Inuyasha, she had failed. But the sash did not ward off her magic as it was meant to, against strong youkai. 

It seemed as though the dark miko’s magic was subduing the full effect of Kagome’s sash. In fact, the dark miko’s energy was everywhere in this castle, thick like a miasma, just like Naraku’s poison. He’d have been motivated to absorb such a dark miko into him for her power if he were still around. 

Kagome wondered if she could take on this evil miko by herself. She had always been with her friends in trying times like this. They worked better together, and now she was alone in this fight. Inuyasha was a statue, little more than furniture. Sesshoumaru was no longer on the ground at her feet, taken away after the miko had hit him with a powerful, painful spell.

“Well, I will leave you ladies to it,” Asobibi said, as he made a motion to leave. Kagome assumed he was going to return to wherever Sesshoumaru was to taunt or torture him, and he probably didn’t believe that Kagome had a chance against Kiyone either.

Kagome glared as she met the miko's eyes. The woman was as confident facing off with her as she had been with Sesshoumaru. Kagome didn't know if she had the same strength to go against her as Sesshoumaru did, but she did feel a bit better knowing that she had made the sash that saved his life, and if she could tap into that power again, maybe she had a chance.

Still, a miko facing off with another miko was unpredictable, and other than the time she’d spent making the sash for Sesshoumaru, Kagome hadn't done any serious fighting with her miko abilities since defeating Naraku. She was afraid she might be a bit rusty and out of practice.

Anxiety washed over her as the dark miko regarded her as if she was little more than mud under her feet.

“So you are the great miko Kagome from another time, who fought the feared and treacherous Naraku. Please forgive me, child, but I am hardly impressed,” she said with an annoying, nasally voice that was just too campy for Kagome to find believable. What was with all these so-called villainous ladies and that snobby bitch voice? 

Her thoughts must have been forming some kind of bored and exasperated expression on her face because the miko's smile disappeared and she seemed to grow angrier in Kagome's silence.

Kagome sighed impatiently. She checked the weight on her back and was thankful that her bow and arrows were still with her despite the initial kidnapping and ride to this castle. She pulled out one arrow, nocked it, and felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her – like she was home, and it felt good. The miko watched her as if she was waiting, more out of curiosity than anything. Despite Kagome's shaky confidence, Kiyone still appeared to be more in control.

“Are you done staring? Let's get on with this...unless you have somewhere else to be?” Kagome challenged her.

The dark miko did not appreciate her tone. When Kagome let her first arrow fly, she could feel the rush of the dark, vacuous energy come for her like a piercing, icy storm. Kagome held her ground, unshed tears prickling in her eyes. She mustered all the power she could reach inside her – everything she had. She drew another arrow, and she heard the dark miko's laughter echoing around inside her skull. Kagome gritted her teeth and realized for a quick moment that she had bitten her lip. 

The miko attacked her again, and Kagome gasped, feeling her being pushed back from her grounded stance. She fired another arrow and with it her scream of defiance. Pure, purple spirit energy soared through the black like a beacon. 

She heard a cry of disgust and instant pain from the other side of the blackness, and Kagome felt a small triumph. Unfortunately, the blackness was too thick, and the evil energy was subduing her holy energy like a solar eclipse. Her power was there, but it was muted.   
She couldn't access it anymore, and her knees began to feel the weight of her weakness.

Before she could allow her eyes to close, she searched out the stone features of her husband Inuyasha. He glowed with her energy for a moment like a pink ember, and before the energy died out, she saw his sword fall from his hand. It broke loose from the stone, and she noticed that it was whole again – turning back to normal.

Soon, darkness was all she could see. Far, far away she could hear the miko cry in frustration, barking orders to someone else. 

Then, nothingness. 

*

When Kagome came to, she could feel someone watching her. Not only that, but she was no longer at Lord Asobibi's castle, rather she was lying in a soft, sweet-smelling meadow under a bright sun. Birds were chirping happily in the distance, and she had never seen the sky that shade of blue. Her head felt weird – like she had just woke up from sleeping for two weeks. 

Her companion was someone all too familiar, and she seemed unhappy in spite of their heavenly surroundings.

“You failed,” she said simply. Kagome rolled onto her back and sighed. She turned her head and met Kikyou's eyes. 

“Obviously,” Kagome said. “I... I didn't think about ever meeting someone like that miko Kiyone.”

“She is no miko,” Kikyou said, her usual somber tone turning somewhat prickly. 

“Yeah, but it doesn't matter. I don't have the power to stop her. I mean, the sash saved Sesshoumaru, but I lost,” Kagome said. “I'm guessing I'm dreaming if I'm seeing you.”

“Not a dream,” Kikyou said, looking away from Kagome's stare. She looked off into the distance. “I'm just here inside your head because we are the same soul.”

“Hrmm,” Kagome said. “You set up all this just to lecture me.”

Kikyou sighed. “Don't be a fool. Think, girl. Think of what you did. You made that sash, but you also turned Inuyasha's sword back from stone to what it is. You have the power. Remember, that fiend wants you because you helped defeat Naraku.”

“You make it sound so easy. It's been awhile since I did that. Most miko things I've done lately are educational and healing,” Kagome complained.

Kikyou tilted her head. “All worthy things of our practice. What isn't acceptable are the doubt, the whining, and the worry.”

“I hate when you're right,” Kagome said with her own sigh. “So what do I do?”

“You have already thought of a way. It has called to you since you came to this place,” Kikyou said.

Kagome paused, rolling around Kikyou's words in her head. What did she mean? She thought back at all the things she'd seen and thought of as they were led through Asobibi's castle. She held back emotion, thinking of Inuyasha and how he was a stone statue before her...

“Not that, before,” Kikyou said.

Kagome's eyes widened when the image came to her. “Midoriko's arrows...”

Kikyou met Kagome's triumphant expression with a knowing smile.

“She is a powerful ally, is she not?” Kikyou finally said. Kagome felt her cheeks redden with warmth as she noted the pride on Kikyou's face. Her smile was a bright as the sun.


	24. Second Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome discovers an unexpected ally.

When Kagome regained consciousness, she could feel the splitting headache that blanketed her entire skull. She muffled a groan when she realized she was moving – no, being dragged along on the marble floor of Lord Asobibi’s castle. She peeked through one eye cautiously, and as the blur cleared, she made out the form of a couple of Asobibi’s imp lackeys that were arguing in their language about something rather heatedly. 

Kagome closed her eyes and cleared her mind. She felt her senses heighten. The dark miko that had defeated her in their battle was nowhere around her. Even though her suffocating magic still blanketed the castle as if it were dust, the miko wasn’t in the hallway with them. Only the imps who were dragging her seemed to be around, and she supposed that after the miko had stunned her, she couldn’t be bothered to deal with Kagome any longer.

She was sort of miffed that the dark miko would abandon her so easily. Kagome supposed it was a blessing though, and after Kikyou’s reassurance in her dream, she knew better than to let that dark miko get to her. She simply hadn't been ready upon their first meeting.

Kagome assumed the imps were taking her to her new prison cell. Or worse. 

In the meantime, Kagome thought about her dream with Kikyou as she formulated a plan to escape the imps. She felt somewhat more confident in herself after talking with Kikyou inside her mind. Even though the two women had not exactly meshed well during the fight with Naraku, Kagome always felt better knowing Kikyou was at rest now, and that she was a part of her as a guide, a wise inner voice that Kagome could lean on spiritually whenever she needed her.

If anything, Kikyou was her hope, and although Kagome failed miserably against the dark miko Kiyone, Kagome refused to give up. She would rescue both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, and the fact that the dark miko underestimated her enough to entrust these stupid imps with her custody meant that she actually had a chance to get out of here.

And if she was right, Kagome could escape their capture with a little song. She smiled to herself; enjoying the vigor she was feeling in fighting to get her friends back. She’d show that miko what she was made of, once she got her hands on Midoriko's arrows, and then when she had Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru at her side, they would bust this whole damn place open!

Even better, Kagome thought, they’d rescue that dragon and she’d make it her personal mission to put Asobibi out of business for good, to free any youkai, animal or person he held hostage here. She wasn’t going to kill him - that would be against her moral code. Though she couldn’t say the same for Sesshoumaru. She was sure he’d want some kind of revenge on Asobibi - maybe even deliver him to his mother. Kagome shuddered. 

She’d let the inu youkai deal with him; she supposed that was the best justice Lord Asobibi would get.

Flexing her fingers, she swore to herself that she wouldn’t celebrate a victory yet. She still had to escape her toadyish captors. They were still arguing amongst themselves, paying her no mind. They didn’t even realize she was awake and crossing her arms over her chest as they dragged her.

She cleared her throat lightly, and they still didn’t notice. She cleared it again, only a little louder. Finally, they had stopped and looked around. She raised her brow and met their big eyes with the sunniest of grins.

Then, Kagome began to sing.

She wasn't the greatest of singers, but her voice and the spell she wove with her words for these particular youkai did startle them. They looked back at her with wide, yellow eyes, and as she kept singing she noticed those wide eyes get heavy and then soon closed. The demons fell over snoring, releasing their grip on the restraints in which they dragged her. While they were out cold, Kagome managed to free herself and then get to her feet. 

Kagome looked around frantically, feeling a rush of motivation, as she could still not sense the dark miko anywhere near her. Kagome had to take this golden opportunity now that she was free to save everyone, if she could, and hopefully find a way to get her husband back to normal flesh and bone.

Unshed tears threatened to come forth as she thought of her husband's terrible predicament, and she only hoped that whatever the miko did to him was not permanent. Yet, if her only solution was to destroy the miko so the magic could die with her, Kagome wasn't against that as part of her plan. 

Still, she wasn't a killer – as much as she had destroyed Naraku, she still felt uneasy about having to do such a thing to anyone else. 

She would do anything for Inuyasha, however. 

Yet, listening to Kikyou's advice – sort of – in her mind, she wondered if there was a better way to deal with the miko. Clearly, she was more powerful than Lord Asobibi, as Sesshoumaru had mentioned; he was a weak youkai that had others do his bidding. So what was his deal with the dark miko, that she would bother working for him when she could suck out his youki like an appetizer if she wanted? Why was she putting up with taking orders from someone obviously beneath her? Kagome had to find out, guessing that was her key to getting back at Asobibi and possibly even freeing Sesshoumaru as well, wherever they were keeping him. 

In order to do that, Kagome knew she couldn't go back up against the dark miko on her own. Not like before. She needed power and weapons, and she knew of a couple of things that might help her have a chance against Kiyone: one, Midoriko's trusty arrows, and two, a feisty, destructive two-headed dragon.

She obviously had to do all of this without Lord Asobibi finding her again, and most certainly under the notice of Kiyone the dark miko. 

As Kagome tiptoed around Asobibi's castle trying to be discreet, she attempted to hone into her senses to find Midoriko's arrows, hoping the connection was strong enough to lead her there. She honestly could feel nothing, wondering if her own fear and scattered thoughts were inhibiting her senses. Without those arrows and the dragon, she was sure she wouldn't have a chance. She just had to get those first.

“Pssst!” Kagome heard the noise, like a whisper or a sneeze from dust. She spun around toward the direction of the sounds, wondering if she had imagined it.

“H-hello?” Kagome asked softly.

“Over here!” the quiet voice directed her. Kagome's mouth opened as she looked at a big statue in the corner where the voice originated. Surely, the statue wasn't talking to her? Though, it was a possibility with that miko's history.

“Uh...” She looked up at the tall, looming statue of a growling grizzly bear with horns. Talk about unique! Kagome wondered if it was a youkai or just a mutation.

“Down here,” directed the voice, and Kagome looked down, feeling silly. Around the pedestal under the stature was a faint green light, like a firefly, pulsating against the stone. Kagome squinted and could see a face in the light.

“Oh!” she said, and the firefly shushed her quickly.

“Please, Miss, lower your voice,” it chirped at her. 

“I'm sorry. I'm just surprised to see something like you,” Kagome said. “Are you... a fairy?”

The pulse began to brighten. “You know about my people?” it asked with excitement. “No one here seems to exactly know what I am. I've been called other things...”

“Well, where I come from we hear stories about you. You're from Ireland maybe? Scotland?” she asked.

“Aye,” said the little fairy. “Ireland. I was looking for adventure and decided to stowaway on a pirate ship. We got overtaken ship by ship, and then I found myself here, in this castle. The colorful ghoul has imprisoned me here. Over time, I had to learn the language or I would be dead. I was so scared...”

“How are you free now? Did you just escape?”

“Yes, but I keep escaping. The Dark Lady catches me and puts me back in my glass,” the fairy said sadly.

“Hrmm, interesting,” Kagome said and the fairy looked sort of sad as its light dimmed. “No, not about that. Why would the miko care about a little fairy?”

“Because, Miss. I know this castle so very well. I know its weaknesses and secrets,” it replied. “If I escape or help others escape, the Ghoul will lose his prizes.”

“And so far you've been unable to escape because it's just you, isn't it?” Kagome asked.

The fairy nodded. “They always catch me before I can release someone powerful. And then the imps, they tease and torture me.”

Kagome narrowed her eyes. “Well, it's your lucky day. That's all going to change. I'm Kagome, by the way.”

“Igrit,” the little fairy said. “Princess Igrit.”

“Well, Princess, we have some very important relics to save. Do you think you can help me free everyone here?” Kagome asked.

“If you think you can succeed, yes!” she said, turning a bit brighter. 

“I can if I can find two things; one, a powerful set of arrows owned by Midoriko, and two, a very pregnant two-headed dragon.”

The fairy buzzed out from behind the stature and began flying in colorful circles around Kagome. “I can help! I know just where they are! C'mon!”

“Arrows first, and then the dragon,” Kagome said, and the fairy led her forward through the dark halls. Kagome only hoped she could trust this fairy, and she was keeping her senses open in case the dark miko was lurking around.


	25. Team Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome has a plan.

Princess Igrit led Kagome down a corridor that felt familiar, and she realized that it was the same hallway where Lord Asobibi's butler had showed them through the front doors and down the way toward Lord Asobibi. 

She followed Igrit's swift flight to the lighted objects on the sides, and her breath caught in her throat at the sight of it again – the arrows and the esoteric bow imbued with energy from the most powerful miko, Midoriko-sama. Kagome approached them with awe and hesitation, feeling a sense of humility simply by standing in front of them. She bowed and thanked Midoriko for these gifts as she gently picked them up from the display. Cautiously, she stored the arrows with her own and carried the bow with a tight grip as she looked around the room frantically, expecting to be trounced. When nothing happened, Igrit quickly beckoned her forward to the next prize.

Kagome could feel it though. The air was getting heavy and the dark miko's energy was starting to press down upon her like a thick miasma again. She was close, lurking and probably coming up to her soon. She must have figured out that Kagome had escaped the two imps. 

Now it was only a matter of time before they met again, which meant that Kagome and Igrit had to get to the dragon fast.

 

*

When they found the dragon, Kagome rested her hand against the wall of the prison to catch her breath. The thick air of dark power was still looming over her, but she needed a moment to breathe. 

Igrit fluttered around the cage in between the bars and came back to Kagome. “The lock is enchanted. I don't have enough power to unlock or break it.”

Kagome felt heat in her hand and looked down at Midoriko's bow, pulsating a bluish-violet.

“You may not have to,” Kagome said. “Let me try.”

She took the end of Midoriko's bow and tapped it at the keyhole of the prison. The lock shined with the color of the bow, and the dragon behind it stirred. They heard a snap, and the lock turned to cinders from the holy power. The broken door swung open and the pregnant dragon sauntered out. 

Kagome looked at the dragon in defeat. Wow, it was really pregnant. She was afraid to use the dragon's power as part of her arsenal against the dark miko.

Kagome watched Igrit, who went up the dragonheads and looked into its eyes. After a strange buzzing and chirping, the dragon's two heads sighed a response.

“Tell the dragonheads what you need them to do,” Igrit said.

Kagome blinked, stunned. “You can talk to them?” 

Igrit nodded. 

“Um, tell them I'm here with Sesshoumaru-sama to rescue them, but he's been captured and so has his brother Inuyasha. We need to get them back, so I need their help, if the dragons have the energy.”

Igrit turned to the dragon and chirped at her. The dragonheads bobbled around furiously and smoke blew from their noses. They made some deep, angry growls and then stomped their feet. 

“They say they will help you rescue Lord Sesshoumaru,” the fairy said. “And they have more energy than ever in their state.”

Kagome looked at the dragon with wide eyes. “Good. Because we need them. I can feel the dark miko. She's coming upon us fast.”

“They say you can ride them, that they can still bear the weight as they take flight,” Igrit said.

“Take flight?” Kagome wasn't sure Ah-Un was able to fly. In fact, she couldn't remember. This was a bonus for her team if they could.

“Um, okay,” Kagome said. 

“Hurry!” the fairy ordered, and the two-headed dragon gnashed its heads at her to spur her on. Kagome couldn't delay any longer. She couldn't be sure, but she swore she heard the dark miko cackling in the darkness as she descended upon them.

Needed no further motivation, Kagome hopped onto the pregnant, restless two-headed dragon. Igrit settled on her shoulder and she could feel her warmth pulsating against her ear. She shrieked when she felt them lift upward, and then the dragon took flight into the high ceilings of the vast castle – heading right for the enemy as she neared.

Kagome also suspected, as they headed toward the dark miko's location, that they would probably find Sesshoumaru there as well. She only had to trust that the dragon's instinct was leading them there.


	26. Standoff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome and the dark miko square off.

When they met with the dark miko, Kagome knew that they’d have to gain the upper hand. 

“Princess Igrit, could you tell the dragon to take us higher?” Kagome asked, and Igrit whirled around them like a dash of light, jabbering in the dragon’s ear. Soon, they were ascending to the higher point of the vaulted ceiling of the castle.

Above them, moonlight shined through the windows from the ceiling of Lord Asobibi’s castle; no matter how high they began to fly upward, though, Kagome still couldn’t escape the suffocating darkness of the miko Kiyone’s power.

Finally, as the miko arrived, Kagome was high enough on the dragon to be a safe distance away; however, the dark miko did not come alone. At her side, she had Sesshoumaru in tow, magically bound with black, crackling energy around him. The sash that had once shimmered with her power looked lifeless and limp.

Sesshoumaru was awake, though, and he did not look pleased. He growled against his magical restraints, his eyes turning blood red as he tried to transform into his true inu youkai form, only to fail when Kiyone’s dark magic drained him of his youki. As he struggled, she seemed to be getting stronger, and though he was clever enough to realize this happening, he was too furious to care. The dark miko, however, seemed to enjoy his struggle, and she gave him a quick, satisfied glance before turning her attention to Kagome, riding the dragon just above her.

Kagome lifted her chin and met the dark miko’s confident expression. 

“So, the little miko managed to break free. I must request that you come back into the Lord’s possession and follow me to your room. Please do not resist. I would not like having to damage the other prize that the Lord has asked me to house in his collection,” the miko said. Kagome was in awe that she was putting on this face of civility.

“You know, I wanted to talk to you about that… What is a powerful miko like you doing taking orders from some weak youkai like Asobibi? What does he have on you that you would be his slave?” Kagome said, noticing that her taunts immediately got a reaction from the miko.

There was a flicker of anger and then the miko’s confident mask came back in place. She grinned toothily at Kagome. “You have been misinformed, and thus, it is of no concern to you.”

“That’s okay if you’re ashamed of it; I understand,” Kagome said, matching the miko’s confidence with her own. The miko did not appreciate Kagome’s cheekiness, and her confident smile suddenly dropped to a deadly snarl.

“Fine. If you will not go quietly, I will have to take you by force,” she growled, and Kagome tensed as she watched the dark miko go on the offensive, drawing her black energy into a whirling ball in front of her, ready to unleash her powers. 

“Princess Igrit, now would be a good time to tell the dragon to try to dodge that attack!” Kagome said, and as the fairy buzzed around her head, she heard the dragon make a noise to the squealing orders, flying a little faster and in a jagged pattern in the air. 

The dark miko let loose her energy, which seemed to ooze around them like thick humidity. Kagome nocked an arrow from Midoriko’s stash, and mustered her own spiritual power to meet the oncoming blasts. When she released the first arrow, her own hubris became her undoing. The arrow soared with brilliant energy, piggybacking on her own with Midoriko’s sleeping energy within it, yet when it met the epicenter of the miko’s blast, it fell flat and dull, splintering into useless pieces.

Kagome’s eyes widened and her heart sank, “No,” she whispered, and the miko cackled at her.

She fired another, and another, desperately, and they all fell flat just like the first. She didn’t want to waste the rest, as there were only about four left, plus her own. She thought for sure that Midoriko’s arrows added to her own power were the key to this miko’s defeat.

But she was failing, just like the first time. What am I doing wrong? Kagome thought, and the dragon she was riding was narrowly missed by another of the miko’s blasts, soaring past them and shattering through the window above them. Kagome cried as falling glass rained down on them, but as they were momentarily distracted by the shards, so was the miko.

Still, Kagome felt hopeless. What was she going to do? She had promised Igrit, and she was sure Sesshoumaru was waiting for her to succeed. Had he misplaced his confidence by placing it in her?

“You cannot do this with arrows alone,” said a voice in her mind. It was Kikyou’s, lecturing her again and making her feel like a novice. 

“You are no novice; you are just overthinking this,” Kikyou said, referring to Kagome’s low feelings. “You need help, and the answer is right in front of you.”

Kagome searched around, seeing the miko shield her eyes from all the falling glass. Igrit must have instructed the dragon to fly higher to avoid the wayward blasts from the miko, and they were ascending higher than before, into the openings where the glass had broken. Behind them, a large moon became their backdrop and Kagome felt an odd sense of safety within its light.

She watched a trail of moonlight break through the thick black miasma of the miko’s power, and it dawned on her like a message from the afterlife. Well, technically it was, as Kikyou directed her in her head.

She met Sesshoumaru’s eyes, and saw that he was challenging her to find the answer too. Automatically, Kagome nocked the arrow, and she aimed for him. He did not flinch, and he did not appear angry. She aimed for something more specific, and then she took a deep breath. 

Kagome exhaled as the arrow shot off, shining brighter as it soared with the moonlight.

The arrow hit the sash that had turned dull on Sesshoumaru’s person, and suddenly the impact created a shower of purple embers all around him. The miko cried from the onslaught of holy energy encompassing her and disrupting her hold over Sesshoumaru. He was still weak, but he was not immobile. His eyes turned red, and he turned his attention to the miko.

Before he could do anything, and before she could put up her defenses, Kagome had already sent off the next arrow toward her, with a small piece of cloth tied around it. When it hit the miko, Kagome chanted something that Kaede taught her, and the small cloth grew into a binding around the miko. She fell over and screamed with anger. 

It was her power that fell dull this time, strangled by Kagome’s binding. 

“You little bitch, I’ll kill you for this!” she spat at Kagome. Kagome whispered something to Igrit, who was already motioning the dragon to come down. Gently they landed, and Kagome rushed to Sesshoumaru, who was already discarding the powerless bindings of the miko around him. 

“Are you all right?” Kagome asked him, and even the dragon she was riding seemed concerned for him. 

“This Sesshoumaru is no longer enchanted. My full power is returning,” he said as he turned to her. She looked into those deep golden eyes, and felt her jaw drop in awe. “It seems I am in your debt again, my sister.”

Her knees wobbled and she could barely believe he had said that. He had called her his sister! He acknowledged her! 

“I -- uh, let’s not worry about that now. We need to get to Inuyasha and free him!” Kagome said.

The dark miko bound on the ground weakly laughed at her. “Haha, you stupid girl. You will never be able to break the spell I put on that hanyou. There is only one way that you can get your husband back, and your pure holy soul would never allow it.”

Kagome knelt to her and pulled up the dark miko by the hair, and she screamed. She snarled at her, “Tell me what I must do?. I’ll do anything to get Inuyasha back!”

“Gah!” the miko yelped, but she didn’t answer.

Kagome yanked on her head harder, pulling out a holy, shining arrow and bringing it to her throat. “It seems you forgot who I am and what I have done! Does Naraku ring any bells? Now release Inuyasha from your spell!

“Idiot girl! You’d have to kill me to release the spell, and you don’t have the stomach for it! I’m no youkai; I’m still human and a miko like you,” she said.

“I am nothing like you,” Kagome said to her.

“Enough, Kagome,” Sesshoumaru said. “This is not your burden to bear. The bitch is right. You must keep your power holy.”

“But then how…” Her words trailed off as Sesshoumaru pulled Tenseiga and then in a swift motion, beheaded the dark miko before their feet. Her head rolled off and Kagome turned away in horror as tainted blood pooled under her.

“You didn’t have to…” Kagome’s voice was soft.

“It was of no consequence to me. I wanted to kill that miko from the start,” Sesshoumaru said. “Now that she is gone, I must take up my original concerns with Asobibi.”

“You’re not going to kill him too?” Kagome asked. She really didn’t have a say if he did, but she figured that there was a better way to punish the youkai. For one, they could release all of his prisoners and make him return any stolen artifacts.

“The thought had crossed my mind, but no, Mother insisted I not kill him. Despite his stupidity and audacity, she still finds use in dealing with him,” Sesshoumaru replied.

“All right, well, at least we have the dragon. Then when we get Inuyasha, we can free more of these people and go. Sesshoumaru, this buzzing light around me is Princess Igrit, the fairy. She helped me rescue you,” Kagome said, introducing them.

Sesshoumaru nodded. “Princess, you are a long way from your homeland,” he said.

“And after being in this land, I cannot wait to return,” Igrit said.

“Your help has been valuable, and I am grateful,” he said civilly. He turned to Kagome and looked at her with impatience. “We must get my brother and be off soon. Having this dragon exercise in flight has caused them to go into labor. They will lay the egg soon.”

Kagome turned to the dragon in surprise. “Oh, I didn’t know! They seemed fine!”

“You cannot tell because you are just human,” he said. “Let’s go find my brother.”

Kagome nodded, and she couldn’t wait to reunite with her husband again. Now that the dark miko Kiyone was dead, she was sure he was awake and about, and he probably wasn’t in the best of moods at this point.

She started when she felt the whole frame of the castle shake, and an explosion followed it. She heard a familiar voice echo down the halls. “YOU BASTARD!!!” the voice yelled, and it was followed by another explosion.

Kagome sighed. “Hey, I think I know the way to find Inuyasha!” 

Sesshoumaru looked at her with exasperation and she laughed weakly, then their little party headed off in the direction of the skirmish.


	27. The Gift of Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party head home and Sesshoumaru reveals his feelings.

When Sesshoumaru, Kagome, Igrit, and the dragon came upon Inuyasha, he was angrily waving Tessaiga, throwing destructive blasts around the castle. 

“I’LL KILL YOU!” he screamed, waving another blast at a pillar. Behind it, Lord Asobibi was cowering. Some of the imps that had a smidgen of power had formed a wall around him and was keeping up a teetering shield of youki to defend him from the blast. However, their power wasn’t going to last long, and some imps had already fallen over in exhaustion as others came in to keep up the shield.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome cried out, and it momentarily caught catching him off-guard. 

“Kagome?” He met her eyes and ran to her. “Kagome!”

She embraced Inuyasha with relief, and when he pulled away from her, he glared in the direction of Lord Asobibi.

“I have the asshole cornered, but those damn imps keep blocking my shots,” Inuyasha said with a huff.

“I will take care of this scum,” Sesshoumaru said. “Please stand aside, brother, and cool your temper.”

Inuyasha snarled a barrage of obscenities at him, but Kagome put a light hand on her husband’s shoulder to still him. Sesshoumaru stepped toward Asobibi who looked out from behind his pillar with terror and exhaustion. The imps began to disperse as Sesshoumaru walked closer.

Soon they had all abandoned Lord Asobibi and went running off to disappear into the darkness of the vast corridors. “You imbeciles, come back here! I paid for you!”

“Is this what you do? You pay for these youkai as slaves?” Sesshoumaru said. “Same as the miko. She was your slave, and she was bound to you by demonic contract.”

“She was my best artifact. I rescued her from spending the rest of her life as a stone statue. A hanyou girl named Shiori had used the miko’s magic against her to protect her village. The miko turned to stone and ended up in my collection. When I freed her, she was in my debt.” Asobibi sighed. “And you killed her.”

“No one who crosses this Sesshoumaru remains alive,” he said.

“I see. Then you have come to take care of me as well,” Asobibi said, annoyed with his defeat. 

“No. My mother gave me specific instructions. I have the dragon back. Now, Lord Asobibi, you are in her debt. I strongly recommend that when my mother calls for her favor, you do not hesitate to serve her,” Sesshoumaru warned him. 

The youkai shuddered under his golden gaze. “I would rather be dead than be indebted to your mother,” he said in a strangled whisper.

“It is out of my hands, Asobibi,” he said. “I do take pleasure in your fear of her, however.” Kagome saw Sesshoumaru indulge in a small, satisfied smile. “We are leaving. You will release any creature in captivity before we go.”

“What??!!!” Asobibi said, and Sesshoumaru shot him a glare. “Fine. I get to keep the things that are not alive, though.”

“Not Midoriko’s weapons,” Kagome chimed in. “Those are my payment for your deeds. Sesshoumaru may not want to kill you, but do not think I won’t. You’re lucky I will honor his mother’s stipulation.”

Asobibi looked at her wide-eyed. “Fine, fine.” 

He turned to Sesshoumaru and then fell to his knees, pleading. “Let the miko kill me, please, please! I cannot be indebted to your mother. You can tell her it was an accident. You can say that the miko killed me as a casualty of war.”

“Stop your sniveling at once,” Sesshoumaru said coldly. “We are done.” He turned around and the rest followed him out the corridor and to the entrance. They waited as other creatures began exiting the castle in haste once they realized they had been freed. Asobibi had at least kept his word on that. 

Kagome inspected the arrows that had once been Midoriko’s. She had four left after that battle with the miko. 

When they were sure all of Asobibi’s prisoners were freed, they made their way to the exit. In the background, echoing on the castle’s walls, they could hear the lord screaming for Sesshoumaru and Kagome to come back, begging them to kill him.

 

*

Many of Lord Asobibi’s former prisoners were waiting outside the castle, looking rather confused and relieved. Kagome could tell that they were happy to be free, but they felt rather lost on what to do next and where to go. Those who had not stayed, however, had already dashed off, and ready to put as much distance between them and the castle as they possibly could.

The confused ones looked to Kagome and Sesshoumaru expectantly.

Some came up to them and thanked them. Sesshoumaru was became annoyed when some of them started to hover.

“We need to get this dragon on a transport. They needs rest to lay the egg,” Sesshoumaru told Kagome. Inuyasha huffed and was off to look for a cart or something as the fairy Igrit followed him. She chirped at him and he barked back at her as they disappeared around the other side of the castle.

Kagome looked helplessly at all the stragglers. “I suppose if some of them have nowhere to go, they can come to our village. We’re very open to peaceful youkai and other kinds of creatures. We could always use the help, especially since we’re still getting humans and youkai alike attacking us and trying to take us over.” Some of them looked her way when they heard her. Sesshoumaru said nothing, and when they realized that Kagome was the source of the generosity, many approached her and asked if they could follow them back.

Reluctantly, Kagome nodded and agreed to help some of them back to their village, as long as none of them caused trouble. Soon, Igrit and Inuyasha were back with a cart, and some imps that Inuyasha had bullied into towing the cart for them. They were forced to oblige, and when Kagome recognized one imp as the same who had initially taunted her on their trip here, she didn’t feel bad about him serving them, for a change.

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha helped the dragon onto the cart and they patted down in some prepared linens and hay. The dragon was all too happy to take some rest as they continued the labor in laying the egg.

Some of the new refugees were happy to pull the cart toward the village, and Inuyasha was happy to give them orders. Sesshoumaru flew into the skies ahead of them, and Kagome sat next to Inuyasha on the driver’s seat.

“I hope you learned your lesson with this whole trip, woman,” Inuyasha finally said to her.

“What lesson was that? That helping Sesshoumaru not only saved the life of a pregnant dragon, but also the lives of all these people? I’m happy to have come,” she said.

“Keh,” he said. “I meant the lesson of interfering with his business, which is usually the same business as his mother’s, and never good.” Kagome saw her husband visibly shudder.

She sighed. “Just admit it already, you just don’t want me to be friends with him. I get it. He’s treated you terribly before, and why should you change your mind about him? I would never ask you or force you to do that knowing your history. Still, I think it’s important that you try to keep the only family you have.”

“Family doesn’t have to be about blood. You, Sango, Miroku and the old woman are my family. Hell, even that damned fox counts, whenever he’s around. I didn’t need my brother as family then, and I doubt I need him now,” Inuyasha grumbled. 

Kagome nodded. She leaned in and took her husband’s arm, snuggling into him, suddenly missing his touch. “I get it, Inuyasha, and I shouldn’t have forced this on you. Still, maybe it’s not _you_ who needs the family.” They both looked up to the sky to see Sesshoumaru still flying ahead of them. He faced onward and made no motion to meet their eyes. 

They knew that he’d been listening, though.

*

When they reached their home village, Kaede, Miroku, Sango, and other villagers came out to welcome them. Kaede took great pains to meet every single one of the ex-prisoners who had no home to go to, and who would look at this village as a new starting point. Sango and her children helped them all settle in, with food and provisions if they needed them.

Inuyasha helped Sesshoumaru get the dragon off the cart again and into an abandoned hut near Kaede’s. Rin came over with Jaken, celebrating at seeing their lord again. Sesshoumaru asked them both to look after the dragon until they laid the egg, a task Rin was more than happy to undertake. Jaken, on the other hand, did not seem pleased to be a baby-sitter again.

Kagome even asked Rin is she would help her with the egg when it hatched, as the dragon was to become hers. Rin was elated, and Kagome was more than happy to share the dragon baby with Sesshoumaru’s ward. 

When the excitement of all the new people and dragon’s egg died down, Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome and pulled her away from her husband.

“Miko, I must talk to you in private,” he said, and Kagome nodded with awe as she followed him into the forest to a more secluded location. Kagome had been to this part of the forest a couple of times before, with thick trees forming around a cool, peaceful lake, into which a local river had drained. 

She looked around the scenery, letting the sounds of the babbling river, the song of the birds, and the chatter of insects encompass her. Dusk was coming, and the forest almost glowed an ethereal orange and pink as the sunset reflected off the waxy tree leaves. Fireflies were just starting to peek out and make themselves known.

Sesshoumaru turned to face her. She had never been this close to the Inu Youkai before. 

His expression seemed impassive as ever, but it softened slightly when he met her eyes. He held out her sash. “It appears that it is more powerful than ever, and the dark miko’s poison did not diminish it.”

“Hrmm, oh yes, when I shot the arrow at it, the sash infused with Midoriko’s power too. I’m sure it’s much more powerful; however, I’m not sure how predictable its behavior is. She was a very powerful miko, and she did not suffer youkai lightly.”

“This Sesshoumaru cannot complain. I am grateful for the sash and your assistance in retrieving the dragon. When they lay the egg, I must take them back to my mother. I will not be back on this earth for some time. This Sesshoumaru had to at least convey my feelings before I left.”

Kagome felt the blood rush in her cheeks. “Oh! Well, of course.”

“This Sesshoumaru considers the miko Kagome not just an ally, but a worthy friend and sister. You must not tell my brother this,” he said, “or I will rescind all affections. He must not know… as I do not want to hear his annoying voice and taunting.”

Kagome stared at him blankly, and then she laughed heartily. Unshed tears formed in her eyes. “Oh, oh, that is hilarious. No, no, I won’t tell him. It’ll be our secret!”

“Good,” Sesshoumaru said, flicking a strand of his long silver hair over his shoulder. 

“I feel the same way about you. You make me happy, as I miss my own brother,” she said, smiling warmly at him. “And you can count on me for any more adventures like that. Well, not exactly like that, but maybe ones a little safer.”

“Indeed I would, little sister, but I’m afraid you will not be able to accompany on missions for a while,” he said.

Kagome looked puzzled. “Is it because you will be gone so long?”

“Not only that, but you will have another adventure to look forward to. Please give my brother my congratulations,” he said, and he looked down at her midsection. Her face felt even hotter, and she was sure she was red.

“Oh, oh, I didn’t...I just thought I was late,” Kagome said, burying her head in her hands. “Ugh, this is embarrassing. Why didn’t he tell me?”

“He does not have the attuned senses that I have,” he said. “But he will know soon.” 

Kagome felt frozen as the news washed over her, and Sesshoumaru was already heading back to village. “Come. The dragon is about to give birth. You can learn a little about it for your own day, little sister.”

She looked at him from the back and watched with awe, before she followed him. His hair was blowing in the cool breeze, and she couldn’t believe what had transpired between them - all because she had one day decided to interfere in his life and become his friend. She had to admit, the idea of being a friend to Sesshoumaru had seemed like a stretch. 

Now he considered her a sister, and he had believed in her against the all odds. She may not get her brother back, but Inuyasha was right: they had family here, and now it was expanding. Kagome was more than happy to include Sesshoumaru in that family too.

And she knew that maybe Inuyasha would come around and make peace with his brother, too.

Someday.

THE END


End file.
